FedEx warehouse workers in Canada join union in N. America first

VANCOUVER, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Workers at a FedEx Corp
warehouse in western Canada have successfully unionized,
the first employees besides pilots at the package delivery
company to organize in North America, a local Teamsters union
said on Wednesday.

The majority of dock associates at FedEx Freight Canada in
Surrey, British Columbia, signed cards with the Teamsters
stating they wish to be represented by the union. The Teamsters
already represent Canadian workers at rival shippers United
Parcel Service Inc and Purolator, a Canadian courier
majority owned by Canadian Post Corp.

The Teamsters were certified by the Canada Industrial
Relations Board on Monday, the union said.

A spokesman for FedEx Canada was not immediately available
for comment.

The 14 laborers, who load and unload trucks, are the first
FedEx ground workers to unionize in North America, joining the
parcel shipper's U.S.-based pilots, who are represented by the
Air Line Pilots Association. The union touted the victory as an
organizing inroad into the Memphis-based company.

FedEx on Wednesday forecast a record holiday season due to
the continued rise of online consumer sales and said it would
add more than 50,000 seasonal workers to handle the anticipated
spike in shipping.

"FedEx is the largest non-union company in North America,"
said Stan Hennessy, president of Teamsters Local 31. "With this
small success up here in B.C, this will encourage more
warehousemen and truck drivers throughout Canada and the U.S. to
certify with the union."

Hennessy said the FedEx workers unionized because of issues
with work hours, wages and benefits, which the group will look
to address in a first contract. Negotiations could get underway
within the next 30 days.

The Teamsters local represents roughly 7,000 private and
public sector employees in British Columbia and the Yukon
territory.
(Reporting by Julie Gordon; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)